Canadian prevention specialists have identified four mutually reinforcing prevention approaches as effective in delivering FASD prevention, linked to overall policy strategies. The four levels span general and specific practices that assist women and pregnant persons to improve their health and the health of their children, with support from family, support networks, services and community (retrieved from https://canfasd.ca/topics/prevention/)
Level 1
The first level of prevention is about raising public awareness through campaigns and other broad strategies. Public policy initiatives and health promotion activities supportive of girls’ and women’s health are also key to this level of prevention. The inclusion of a broad range of people at the community level is important to advancing social support and change.
Level 2
The second level of prevention is about girls and women of childbearing years having the opportunity for safe discussion about reproductive health, contraception, pregnancy, alcohol use, and related issues, with their support networks and healthcare providers.
Level 3
The third level of prevention concerns the provision of supportive services that are specialized, culturally safe and accessible for women with alcohol problems, histories of violence and trauma and related health concerns. These trauma-informed, harm-reduction-oriented recovery services are needed not only for pregnant women, but also before pregnancy and throughout the childbearing years.
Level 4
The fourth level of prevention is about supporting new mothers to maintain healthy changes they have been able to make during pregnancy. Postpartum support for mothers who were not able to make significant changes in their substance use during pregnancy is also vital to assist them to continue to improve their health and social support, as well as the health of their children.
KEY FASD PREVENTION RESOURCES
CEWH & CanFASD, 2022
This consensus statement, created in 2009 and updated in 2022, highlights the importance of looking at FASD prevention from a women’s health perspective.
CEWH, Thunderbird Partnership Foundation & CanFASD, 2019
This consensus statement outlines eight tenants for enacting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #33.
This issue paper describes what is known about the prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy, identifies risk factors associated with alcohol consumption during the prenatal period, and provides recommendations.
This brochure briefly describes what FASD prevention is. It includes an overview and examples of the 4 levels of FASD prevention as well as the key principles that guide this work.